Chinese engineers will today begin analyzing the nation’s first spacewalk suit returned from orbit. The “extravehicular spacesuit B” arrived Monday aboard a Shenzhou capsule after its mission aboard the Tiangong space station.

First used in July 2021 for a landmark six-hour, forty-six-minute spacewalk by astronaut Tang Hongbo, the suit possesses immense scientific value. Researchers will conduct thorough tests to gain accurate firsthand data. This analysis is critical for extending the service life and optimizing the design of future orbital suits.

Furthermore, the findings will directly inform the engineering of advanced suits required for China’s ambitious manned missions to the Moon, laying a vital technological foundation for lunar exploration.

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